Line #9 YMMV/TheKiteRunner


1	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Is Amir a misunderstood boy who just [[WellDoneSonGuy wants his father’s affections]]? A coward who always runs from his problems? Or a selfish but still caring person? It seems that everyone sees Amir differently. The novel, however, suggests that these three different interpretations are not mutually exclusive.
2	* BaseBreakingCharacter: Some people see Amir as a protagonist everyone can relate to who has to tackle the obstacles in his path, while others see him as a spineless jerk who only cares about himself. Granted, as said above, this is actually more clear in the novel since the reader is privy to his internal thoughts, and his whole arc is growing out of being spineless jerk who only cares for himself.
3	* BrokenBase: Over the film as to whether it's a good adaptation of the book or not.
4	* CompleteMonster: [[DepravedBisexual Assef]] begins life as a brass knuckle-brandishing sociopath and a racist [[TheBully bully]] with a virulent [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain hatred of the Hazaras]]. Possessed of an admiration for UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler himself and considering him a visionary, Assef is already known as an [[EarAche ear-eating]] savage around his area and shows his true colors by raping Hassan alongside his friends after the boy humiliates him. Assef [[SchoolyardBullyAllGrownUp graduates from bully to a member of the Taliban]] who introduces himself stoning a blindfolded man to death and [[WouldHurtAChild taking orphans to be sold into sexual slavery]], among them the now-deceased Hassan's son Sohrab as his personal SexSlave. Assef is no less adamant about his mission to massacre the Hazaras, and proudly accepts the term "ethnic cleansing" as one he likes. Assef views himself as taking out "garbage" around Afghanistan, but when everything is clear, Assef is little more than a domineering, depraved, remorseless bully from youth to adulthood.
5	* HollywoodHomely: In the book, Ali is described as having his face muscles damaged by a sickness, and Hassan as having a cleft palate. Neither are present in the film; despite both of these things, ''especially'' the latter, being kind of really important details about said characters, with Hassan's cleft palate being bought up multiple times in the novel.
6	* ItWasHisSled: The book is an international best seller even adopted as a classic reading for students, and the film has also contributed to its success. It's hard by now to not being familiar with some twists like Hassan's rape and his real parentage.
7	* JerkassWoobie: As a child, Amir is shown to be stubborn and to often outwit on Hassan with tricks [[{{Troll}} for his amusement]]. But he has a father who doesn’t appreciate the way he is, feels guilt about “killing” his mom when she gave birth to him, has a massive GuiltComplex in general, and Hassan and Rahim Kahn are his only friends. He may be a jerk sometimes, but what Amir had to go through was rough; and it only gets worse for him from there. So, so much worse.
8	** General Tahiri, while not a "jerkass" per se, is an overprotective father who is restrictive about what he wants his daughter to do, once crumples up one of Amir's manuscripts and throws it in the trash in front of him, doesn't sleep in the same room as his wife anymore, and is way too snooty to want to get a job in America. However, one has to feel sorry for him, considering his constant headaches, and especially how he went from a general to some poor nobody, as he waits for the day that he can go back to Afghanistan that never comes.
9	** Baba, sort of. He's a nice person to everyone but Amir, who he is extremely neglectful towards and puts the full expectations of a "true Afghan man" on. However, once his backstory is revealed, and seeing him actually ''cry'' when Hassan and Ali leave, one also has to feel somewhat sorry for him. It also helps that he TookALevelInKindness after moving to America.
10	* {{Moe}}: Hassan is loyal, innocent ([[IncorruptiblePurePureness or too innocent as Amir mentions]]) and a bit naïve. It’s no surprise that people find him adorable.
11	** Also, Sohrab, for being a massive {{Woobie}} and having a very UncannyFamilyResemblance to Hassan.
12	* MoralEventHorizon: Assef crosses it... And then struts through it several more times while laughing. See [[spoiler: RapeAsDrama]] on the Main page and CompleteMonster above for more details.
13	* OneHitWonder: Zekeria Ebrahimi and Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada, the Afghan child actors who played young Amir and young Hassan respectively, had never acted before and have never acted again. In fact, acting in the movie caused major problems after shooting finished, because many questioned sending them back to Kabul, where their families feared attacks because of the homosexual themes in the movie. They were relocated to the United Arab Emirates.
14	* UnpopularPopularCharacter: Even though Hassan is a nice person who would do anything for Amir, he is often subjected to racial comments by the Afghans for being a Hazara. But a lot of people adore Hassan and sympathize with him for what he went through.
15	* TheWoobie: Hassan, oh so much.
16	** ''Sohrab.'' Sadly, his situation isn't unique for children orphaned in Afghanistan during Taliban rule.

Context YMMV / TheKiteRunner